Couch.



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COUCH.

APPLIIGATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1911.

1,045,960: Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CD.,WASH1NGTON. u. c

PARRY E. ENNIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR TO SANITARY STEEL COUCH A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

COUCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

Application filed September 5, 1911. Serial No. 647,491.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PARRY E. ENNIS, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Tmprovementin Couches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to couches or beds which can be used either on the floor or in conjunction with ropes or chains attached to an overhead support. When a couch of this kind is thus supported by ropes or chains, it is ordinarily called a hammockbed. Couches for this purpose are sometimes provided with folding legs which can be folded up underneath when the couch is in use as a swing.

Generally stated, the object of my invention is to provide an improved folding back which can be lowered to extend the supporting area of the couch, when such is necessary or desirable, and which when held in an upright position will provide a comfort-able back against which the occupant of the couch or swing may comfortably lean or recline, regardless of whether the couch is in use on the floor or as a swing.

To the foregoing and other-useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings--Figure 1 is an end elevation of a couch or a bed embodying the principles of my invention, showing the said folding back adjusted to a horizontal position to extend the supporting area of the couch or bed, and showing the said back raised to an upright position in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a plan of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one end of the said couch or bed.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a couch or bed frame A composed of parallel side bars a of angle iron, which bars have their end portions a bent upwardly and connected together by cross bars which latter are also preferably of angle iron. The said side bars are provided with folding legs B of any suitable, known or approved character, which are adapted to fold up underneath the couch or bed. The helicals or coil springs C are attached to the cross bars a? in any suitable or desired manner. The bars a are provided at one end thereof with swinging or pivoted extensions D, which extensions are pivoted at (Z, whereever, dependently of by these pivotal points are located a distance forward from the rear ends of the said end bars a the front ends of the latter being long enough to slightly overhang at the front of the couch. hen the extensions D are in a horizontal position, they rest in the hollow or angle of the bars a whereby they are adapted to overhang the back of the couch and support considerable weight without danger of sagging or breaking off. These extensions 1) are connected by a side bar (1 which is substantially the same as the side bars a of the couch frame. The bars a are provided with slots a for the pivoted and curved arms or braces (P, which latter have their upper ends pivoted at (Z upon the extensions D of the swinging section of the couch frame. These arms or braces d have their lower edges provided with notches in the curved portions thereof, which notches are adapted to engage the ends of the slots a whereby the swinging section comprising the bars D is adapted to be retained in an upright position, as shown in dot-ted lines in Fig. 1, and whereby the said swinging section becomes back for the couch or swing. Helicals or coil springs E are secured to the bars D in any suitable or desired manner.

he resilient metal supporting fabric of the couch stretches continuously from the front edge thereof to the point where it terminates at the upper edge of the swinging back of the couch. For this purpose the said fabric is preferably composed of longitudi nal slats F which have their ends suitably connected with the helicals C and E, whereby they are normally stretched taut between the end bars of the couch. The balance of the fabric is made up of the cross slats G which are interwoven with the longitudinal slats, and which have their ends riveted or otherwise suitably connected with the side edges of the fabric. Preferably, each cross slat G is riveted to the outermost two longitudinal slats at the front and back of the couch, whereby a stiffening selvage is provided at the side edges of the fabric. The intermediate longitudinal slats F are, howeach free to move or slide endwise ineach other. With this construction, the cross slats G of the fabric extend continuously from the front of the couch to the upper edge of the swinging back, all of said slats being preferably of useful as a resilient flat wire. It will be seen that the longitudinal connecting bar cl is set inward a distance from the edge of the fabric, whereby it edge of the fabric when the pivoted back is either up or down.

When the swinging back is raised, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, it provides a comfortable support for the back or head, and converts the couch into something that is, in a general way, very much in the nature of an ordinary davenport. The angle of the swinging back can be changed or varied at will to suit the convenienceand comfort of the occupant of the couch. When lowered to a horizontal position, the swinging back then serves to extend the supporting area of the couch, and provides a broad and comfortable bed. A couch of this kind can be used in conjunction with ropes and chains, whereby it will become a swing or hammockbed. This is easily accomplished, as will be readily understood, by attaching the said ropes or chains to the end bars of the couch. The back can be lowered and folded down fiat upon the couch for shipping purposes. Also, it will be seen that the front and rear edges of the fabric are free, whereby soft edges are provided for the front of the couch and the top of the back, the fabric between these edges being entirely clear and out of reach of the frame of the couch. In this way the fabric of the couch presents a soft and entirely comfortable support throughout the entire area thereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a couch or bed, a frame comprising side bars, end bars by which said side bars are rigidly connected together, extensions on said end bars pivoted thereto at a distance from the rear ends thereof, whereby said extensions rest upon the end bars when .down, means for holding said extensions in an upright position, a bar rigidly connecting together the outer ends of said extensions, and a resilient metal fabric stretched between the end bars and extensions thereof, which fabric extends continuously from the front of the couch to the upper edge of the swinging back provided by the said extensions, whereby said fabric extends the area of the couch when said extensions are lowered.

2. In a couch or bed, a frame therefor, a back pivoted upon the said frame, means for holding the said back upright in difierent positions, and a metallic supporting fabric on the said frame and back having flexible is brought wellaway from thiscross slats stretching from one to the other, said frame being provided with horizontal portions which. receive and support the back in horizontal position, with the back overlapping the frame, to extend the area of the couch at the rear thereof when used as a bed.

3. In a couch or bed, a pair of side bars provided with upturned ends, end bars rigidly secured to said upturned ends, bars pivoted to said end bars, a longitudinal barhavlng upturned ends rigidly secured to the outer end portions of the pivoted bars, legs on said side bars, helicals secured to said end bars and pivoted bars, a metallic fabric supported and held in braces pivoted on the said pivoted bars, and means on said end bars fo engaging said braces to hold the pivoted bars at different angles, the axis of said pivoted bars being disposed a distance forward from the rear ends of said end bars, whereby said end bars support the said pivoted bars in horizontal position to extend the area of the couch at the rear thereof when used as a bed.

1-. In a couch or bed, a frame comprising parallel side bars, transverse end bars by which the said side bars are rigidly connected together, a swinging back for the rear side of the frame, projecting over one of said side bars, said back having a single side bar, means for holding said back upright in different positions, and means on top of the frame,but overhanging the rear edge thereof place by said helicals,

sufficiently; whereby said back is supported in a horizontal position to extend the area of the couch when used as a bed, all of the side bars being depressed, and a metallic fabric stretched onthe frame and back a distance above the side bars.

5. A couch having a swinging section, a stationary body, and a single continuous resilient metal fabric stretched over the entire couch, said section being hinged to assume an upright position to serve as a back, and to rest horizontally with either the top or bot tom thereof on the body, together with means on the said body for engaging the said section outside of the axis thereof to hold the same in extended position, whereby said section rests on top of said body when in horizontal position, but with sufficient overhang to extend the area.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 30th day of August 1911.

PARRY E. ENNIS. Witnesses:

G120. SCHMIDT, ETHEL MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

